Fortunate Sons
by Louise Clark
Summary: Carlisle is an award-winning war correspondent, who has lived out his dream. His sons follow in his footsteps; yet make their own way. The three of them survive being sent to Hell on Earth, the war-torn country of Vietnam, only to return home and realizing their lives are forever changed. This is their story. My entry for the 2012 Show Me Your Patriotism Challenge.


*** **Disclaimer** ***

**I am not affiliated with or related to Stephenie Meyer, she alone owns the Twilight saga. I am also not affiliated with or related to anyone employed by Little, Brown, and Company OR Summit Entertainment. **

**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Since I DO own this story, please do not copy, translate, plagiarize, duplicate, or misuse my work in any way.**

**Thank you**.

Author's Note:

I have the upmost respect for the men and women in the United States Armed Forces. I'd like to dedicate this story to the thousands of Vietnam War veterans who were never properly welcomed home.

Fortunate Sons

May 28, 1945

Dearest Mother,

I write to you safely aboard an oil replenishment vessel, the U.S.S. Cahaba, as we sail across the wide Pacific. The ocean has been a beautiful backdrop, especially at night. The way the moon and stars reflect off the water is purely magical.

Listen to me wander. I find myself in awe that I was granted permission to become a war correspondent at the ripe age of twenty-two. I must be the youngest one.

Don't fret over me, mother, for I am well cared for. I have bunked with the Captain, as his quarters has two rooms and a bath. I eat very well, too, the Captain has also seen to that.

I am impressed by the crew's ability to let me blend in. I am treated as one of them. I look forward to joining them in the galley in lieu of constantly dining with the Captain. They keep this ship very clean; all of their mothers would be proud.

We must be getting closer to the battle line, as we had a fire drill today. The crew was flawless in their execution. I observed from the bridge as the 250-man crew performed their duties during the drill. While I found it fascinating, I hope that it will remain solely as practice.

I will try to write as often as time is permitted. Mailing this letter to you will have to wait until I'm on dry land. I hope this letter finds father's health improving, as you know, I was about to turn down this opportunity when he fell ill.

Your devoted son,

Carlisle

Emmett read the letter addressed to his grandmother over and over, amazed at his father's words on the thin piece of stationary from the ship. He could almost picture his father sitting in the Captain's room at a large desk writing as the ship gently rocked across the ocean.

Feeling as though he was invading his recently passed grandmother's privacy, he placed the letter back in the hatbox he found it in and then went in search of his father, Carlisle.

He found him in the next room of his grandparents' home, which was the study. It hadn't been used much by his grandmother since his grandfather passed in 1945, years before Emmett was born.

"Dad?"

Carlisle looked up from the old newspapers spread across the brown leather couch. Sliding his reading glasses back up his nose, he found his son in the doorway holding an old hat box. His gut clenched as he wondered what his son wanted to show him.

"What do have there, son?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Found an old letter you wrote to Grandma Mary and some other papers."

Emmett entered the room hesitantly and slowly handed the fragile box to his father. He couldn't be sure he was judging his father's reaction correctly to the news, so he stood silently beside him and waited.

Holding the pink floral wallpapered hatbox with its pink tassel brought forth memories of his mother for Carlisle. It, along with the hat, were among her most prized possessions. When he was a child, she would tell him the story of how his father bought it for her on their honeymoon in Paris. The pink cloche hat designed by the famed milliner, Reboux, never stayed in the hatbox for long. His mother loved it so much she constantly wore it, even when it was no longer in fashion. Grinning at the memory, he stood and walked over to his father's William IV period mahogany desk. After gently placing it on top of unopened newspapers that he was sifting through, Carlisle carefully lifted the lid and placed it beside the box.

The simple words he wrote to his mother twenty years ago brought tears to his eyes as the unforgiving onslaught of memories resurfaced. Ripping his glasses off, he covered his face with his free hand and stepped back. Emmett's hand clasped his father's shoulder as Carlisle took a deep breath to calm down.

Carlisle was overwhelmed by his memories. How his first stint as a war correspondent was cut short due to his father's hospitalization. He barely made it to Seattle in time to say goodbye. His brother, Randall, was heartbroken to see the patriarch of their family lose his life. He was always closer to their father than Carlisle was. When Carlisle didn't follow in his father's and brother's footsteps into medicine, it drove a wedge between them, while bringing him closer to his mother.

Regaining his composure, he patted his son's hand and nodded, thanking him silently. With slightly unsteady hands, Carlisle reached in to retrieve the letter. The box was only half-full and seemed to contain nothing but papers. He was curious about them, but wanted to take his time going through the contents.

"I wrote this to your grandmother on my first military assignment. I was on a Navy fleet oiler, the U.S.S. Cahaba. We departed Pearl Harbor and were out to sea for about three months. It was a big ship, though not nearly as big as a destroyer, and floated like a dream. We never got into combat, staying back from it to fuel the big guys, but I'll never forget it."

Emmett smiled at his father. He liked hearing his old man talk about his career. "So what else is in there?" He asked and pointed toward the box.

"Let's see," Carlisle replied, and carefully picked up the next piece of paper. He chuckled as he recognized it. "It's my very first article for the Navy Times. I typed it up as we sailed back to Pearl Harbor."

"So you wrote that on the Cabana?"

Carlisle chuckled. "The Cahaba," he corrected, and placed the article on top of his letter. "As you know, I barely made it back in time to see your grandfather before he passed."

Emmett nodded somberly and fidgeted, hating that his father had a hard time with his grandfather. He was thankful that both he and his older brother, Edward, had always been close to their father. It had always been the three of them, his mother Esme had died during childbirth. He cleared his throat before asking what was next in the box.

One by one, Carlisle revealed articles from newspapers and magazines that his mother had clipped and stored in her beloved hatbox. He was overcome at seeing them all, but was glad to share a small story about each one with his son. There were articles from Korean newspapers, as well as German and Italian. Attached to each clipping was the original in English. It seemed his mother was about to put together a scrapbook of his career. Just as Carlisle replaced them all as they were, the front door to his parents' home opened.

"Dad? Emmett? Uncle Randall?"

"Yo, Ed! Back here!" Emmett bellowed.

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head. He heard his sons hug behind him before he turned around and joined them.

"Don't call me Ed," Edward pleaded before laughing.

"Good to see you, son. You look sharp." Carlisle gleamed at his son.

"As if you need a pretty uniform, chick magnet," Emmett teased and knocked his hat off to rub his stubbly head.

"Damn it, Em," Edward cursed before they locked their arms and started wrestling around.

"You better stop before you rip your uniform," Carlisle scolded at them before leaving his father's study.

A couple of minutes later, his sons were still laughing as they joined him at the kitchen table. The headline of the current paper in Carlisle's hands was about the United States sending 150,000 additional troops to Vietnam by fall. Edward frowned and pulled out his orders from inside the jacket pocket of his dress uniform.

"I have orders to report to Vietnam after Grandma's funeral."

"Of course the 101st Airborne Division is going," Carlisle said sarcastically and frowned.

Emmett patted Edward's back. "You get those Commies and come home safe, big brother."

Edward smirked at his brother. Carlisle handed the paper back to him and he put it back in his jacket.

"Come on, let's go home."

~ Fortunate Sons ~

After his grandmother's funeral the next morning, Edward reluctantly left. He was immediately thrust into war, catching up to his men after they made the demonstration jump for General Westmoreland. Vietnam had more jungle than he expected and he realized that his men in the 1st Brigade were screwed. They went through several training exercises around Cam Ranh Air Base to adjust to their battleground and wait for the rest of their supplies. As soon as the supplies arrived a month later, they were sent to the Song Con Valley.

Edward wrote letters home to Emmett, who was hoping to enlist soon, as well as to their father, who was in Vietnam as a war correspondent. He admitted to his father he was nervous and hoped he stayed safe. He shared his feelings about how he thought the fighting would be gruesome, and where he was headed.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Carlisle had just returned home from the lawyer's office to settle his mother's will when the doorbell rang.

"Mr. Cullen," the gentleman in an Army dress uniform greeted as soon as the door was opened.

"Yes?" Carlisle was instantly afraid that Edward had been hurt in combat, or worse.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir. Mind if I come in?" Carlisle could tell by his insignia on the gentleman's hat that he was a general in the Army. He reasoned that if his son was hurt, a general wouldn't be sent to tell the family.

"Oh, yes, of course." Carlisle expelled a calming breath, opened the door wider, and stood aside to allow the man into his home. He then took his visitor's overcoat and hat, hanging them on the coat rack before showing him to the living room.

As his visitor sat on the sofa, he went to the kitchen to fill the teakettle and set it on the stove. They made light talk as they waited for the water to boil. Carlisle excused himself when the kettle whistled, leaving the company of General Volturi. When he returned with his late wife's tea serving set, he found the General standing by the window.

"Here we are, General."

"That smells heavenly. Nothing finer than a good cup of tea on a gloomy day."

Carlisle smiled politely as he poured tea for the both of them. They each fixed their tea and took a small sip. General Volturi complemented Carlisle on the tea set before explaining the purpose of his visit.

"I realize you have a son in Vietnam now, Second Lieutenant Edward Cullen and that you have another son, Emmett?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if you're here for Edward, he should be in Vietnam by now."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure he is. You must be proud of him."

Carlisle let out a breath in relief, nodded, and then encouraged his guest to continue.

"I'm here about you, Mr. Cullen. In your career, you have accompanied various units and branches of our fine military, reporting unbiased accounts of what you've witnessed. Congratulations on your Pulitzer nomination a few years ago on that Korean War piece."

"Thank you. I have had a rewarding career."

"You are not retired, are you?"

"No. I recently took some time off due to my mother's passing."

"Oh. My most sincere condolences, Mr. Cullen. How much more time are you expecting to…"

"Thank you. This was the last day, actually. Matters are settled, and it just so happens that I was going to write a request tomorrow to get back in the field."

General Volturi clasped his hands together. "Splendid! I came to ask you to accompany my battalion and me to Vietnam. We leave in two days. Can you be ready by then?"

"Certainly. Name the time and place."

They discussed details as they finished their tea. General Volturi left the Cullen home a very happy man. Carlisle was happy as well and immediately called his brother, Randall, to let him know he'd be leaving.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Learning that his father was going to leave was perfect timing for twenty-one year old Emmett. Finally deciding to go with the Army versus the Marines or the Navy, he was excited to tell his father as he left the recruiter's office. He was to attend an enlistment fair in a few days, where they would perform a physical, take a mental competency test, general knowledge assessment, as well as a fitness test on the hundreds of applicants in a single day.

Both men were happy and proud of each other as the conversation ended. Carlisle was equally proud of both his sons and glad they would have different careers in the Army. With Edward being an officer, they would be on vastly different pay scales as well, but that didn't seem to bother Emmett. They spent as much time together as they could until it was time for Carlisle to leave. Randall came by as well, thankful to be able to see his brother off and wish his nephew luck.

Emmett drove his father to Ft. Lewis on Saturday morning. General Volturi had a Visitor's Pass for Carlisle at the gate, and had left instructions to have him escorted to HQ. After promising each other to be safe and long hugs goodbye, Emmett got back in the car and left.

Taking more time than he intended with his father, he arrived at the exact time of his appointment. It was still early enough in the morning that not too many had checked in yet. He signed the clipboard at the entrance of the high school and took a seat in a metal folding chair in the hallway as directed. Within minutes, he was called back for his physical, which included eye and hearing tests, and a dental examination. The doctors took quick notes and he was whisked to another area.

As soon as the curtain closed behind him, he was instructed to sit at a desk that was provided. He took the last empty one, so the lieutenant immediately handed out the two hundred-question general knowledge test along with pencils. When the candidates were done, they were to stay seated. This proved difficult for Emmett, as he started fidgeting halfway through the test, much to the dismay of those around him. When he finally made it through, he quit squirming. The lieutenant walked through the rows of desks and picked up the tests as soon as the last man turned his over. He allowed a five-minute bathroom break before the fifty men were to return for the personality test.

Emmett flew through the questions on the personality test. He left the gymnasium and headed out to the football field for the physical ability evaluation. There they were to go through a miniature obstacle course and run five miles. Emmett was worn out after three miles but refused to show it. He began daydreaming of a beautiful blonde with long legs and an hourglass figure. She had sapphire blue eyes and perfect breasts. By the time he had undressed her in his mind, a whistle blew indicating he had run the required five miles. Sad to shake her out of his mind but glad the day was over, he was allowed to leave after being told that the candidates selected would be notified within a week.

Four days later, Emmett got the phone call he'd been waiting for. He was to report to basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia in two weeks. Luckily, his father called the same evening to check in. He'd just arrived at Nha Trang Air Base in Vietnam. They spoke briefly, asking each other if they had heard from Edward, both answering in the negative. That was all the time they had, just a few minutes, and their call had to end with hurried sentiments.

Randall picked up his nephew that evening to take him out to dinner to celebrate: steak and potatoes at Emmett's favorite steakhouse in Seattle. They made plans to make Randall Emmett's power of attorney, should it prove necessary since Carlisle was also out of the country. It was Carlisle's suggestion, as Randall was also Edward's PoA.

"Uncle Randall, how come you never got married?"

"Hmm, well, I guess I never found the right person that I wanted to share the rest of my life with, my dear boy," he replied and smirked. He picked up his glass and saluted Emmett before downing his shot of bourbon. "What about you? What's your excuse?"

Emmett's face pained for a moment, worried he'd ruined the evening. After judging his uncle for a moment, he decided he was teasing, so he put on a brave face and answered the question. "Same reason I guess. I had plenty of wild weekend nights in college, I assure you. I grew out of it when my roommate and I ended up getting laid by the same girl on the same night at a frat party. I was disgusted with myself the next day as I sobered up. You remember when I came to you asking about STDs?" His uncle nodded. "Yeah, that's why. I panicked when I couldn't find a used condom near me. To this day, I don't know if she removed it or we just didn't use one. I might have a kid out there somewhere!"

"Emmett, it's been at least two years since then. Surely, if you had fathered a child, the mother would've tracked you down by now. You wouldn't be hard to find, after all. Your father's a famous journalist, and your uncle's a prominent surgeon," Randall teased, hitting Emmett's elbow.

Emmett laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The next week and a half flew by and Emmett grew nervous and excited each day. The day before he was to leave, he received a letter from Edward postmarked three weeks prior. In it, he had wished him well at basic training in whatever branch he had decided on, since he didn't know that Emmett had chosen the Army as well. He told him that Vietnam was more jungle than he'd prepared for, and suggested that Emmett begin learning Vietnamese, because it had come in handy plenty of times for him already. He was currently in the Song Con River Valley as his "Screaming Eagles" were assigned to scope the area. All in all, Edward didn't sound too bad off, which relieved Emmett. He packed the letter in his duffle and went to bed.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Carlisle was still with General Volturi's battalion in late October 1965. They were visiting a Special Forces camp near the village of Plei Me. There weren't many Americans there yet, but that would change soon. The local Montagnard mercenaries, known as Civilian Irregular Defense Group soldiers, were 350 strong and had been busy expanding the camp. General Volturi sent a private and a translator with Carlisle to conduct interviews with the families nearby. Everything was fine for a few days, and then suddenly at 7:30pm on October 19th, the camp was under attack. Grateful he wasn't in the village at the time, Carlisle took cover and stayed out of the way. If the attack had been an hour prior, most of the troops would've been in the mess tent.

Night drops of food, medical supplies, and ammunition were made, but most were outside of the camp, frustrating the General. At first light, 250 Army of the Republic of Vietnam soldiers (ARVN) arrived by a helicopter fleet. The fighting continued for several days. The men would make some progress, only to be ambushed on the main road, causing them to retreat back to camp. The buildings were miraculously still standing, although they looked as if they were matchsticks and would fall at any time. Trenches around the perimeter and other areas that were guarded by sandbags were the safest places to take cover. Carlisle was scared shitless the whole time, though he wouldn't admit it. It was his first experience in battle, and as the siege continued, he made the most of his time taking photographs and writing notes, making sure to document everything he could.

General Volturi was organizing a last push against the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) led by Brigadier General Chu Huy Man when word came that the cavalry was on its way. Literally. The 1st Air Cavalry Division arrived in force on October 27th, causing the PAVN to make a hasty retreat, finally ending the siege. One of the Hueys was shot down, stranding the pilot until another Huey rescued him three days later. In the middle of the battle, the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, called and congratulated General Volturi. Carlisle thought it was the funniest, albeit most chaotic, phone call in the middle of a war zone

he'd ever see. He snapped pictures and quickly logged notes as he laughed, thinking no one would believe the story he would later write about it.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

By the end of the ten-week Basic Combat Training, Emmett had transformed into a more muscular and acute-minded individual than when he had arrived. He was eager to begin the Advanced Individual Training. Fort Benning had a fairly new program he was eager to join: the Scout Dog Platoon. His last letter from Edward mentioned he had seen one on duty and the German Shepherd had saved their lives. His brigade was with another battalion on patrol and the dog alerted them of PAVN soldiers under cover just ahead. They were able to take defensive positions before they were attacked. Edward was amazed and wrote a letter of commendation so the handler and dog would be up for an award.

He also had a letter from his father congratulating him on being selected for the fairly new platoon. Carlisle had heard of it, especially the success of the test program at Da Nang Air Base.

The following week when he met Kola for the first time, he knew he'd love the dog for the rest of his life. The two became fast friends and worked well as a team. The only time they weren't together was chow time and bedtime. After the two-week long initiation/obedience training came the ten-week field instruction training. The next phase was camping out in the simulated Viet Cong village for three days. The final test was scored on the physical abilities of both dog and handler. All passing teams were then cleared for duty. Most handlers received a new dog when they arrived in Vietnam, but Emmett won his request to keep Kola with him. The instructor knew they were a special team from the first day and had no problem agreeing to the request.

Once Emmett, Kola, and the rest of the 47th Infantry Platoon arrived at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam, they met up with the 101st Airborne, reuniting the Cullen brothers much to Emmett's surprise. Edward knew of his arrival, of course, and made sure he was there.

They hugged, and Emmett introduced Kola to Edward before he asked about their father.

"That's why I decided to meet you. Dad was in the Siege of Plei Me. He's all right, and thankful to be alive. He made General Volturi give him the opportunity to call me after the dust had settled." Both men laughed and agreed that their father would do something bold like that. "Then he told me how President Johnson called in the middle of battle, congratulating the General! I would've hung up! What an asinine thing to do in the middle of a war zone."

They guffawed at the antics of the leader of their country before embracing again.

"Good to see you, brother. God, I missed your sorry ass!" Edward teased.

"Damn right you missed my muscular ass. I'm in the best shape of my life, and I'm here to tear this place up! I meant _we_, right, Kola? Let's go get some grub." As he reached down and patted the dog's head, Kola barked and wagged its tail in turn.

Edward laughed heartily at both his brother and his furry friend. "No steak and potatoes here, I'm afraid. You better get used to rice."

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Three weeks later, Edward's brigade was called into battle at Landing Zone X-Ray (LZ X-Ray), fourteen miles southwest of Plei Me. It was the third day of fighting for the units already there. The brigade landed amid a heavy firefight, losing one of the ten Hueys that brought them in. Quickly determining that more firepower and supplies were needed, Edward called his C.O.

Fighting stopped abruptly mid-morning. With a final sweep of the area, hundreds of the enemy soldiers were found dead, so victory was declared. Edward received word of an incoming B-52 assault, and was ordered to evacuate to LZ Albany four miles away. Before making it there, they came across a couple of enemy soldiers wandering down the road. They were immediately taken into custody and interrogated as the men continued on.

The units stopped in a clearing one hundred yards shy of their objective, when they were ambushed by the PAVN. Edward's hodgepodge of a battalion of several units was in a long line, so it was easy for the enemy to break it into fragments. Leading the enemy charge were the survivors of LZ X-Ray. The fighting was an all-out shootout like in western movies, but with three to five foot tall elephant grass instead of dry earth and tumbleweeds. Edward dropped to the ground for cover and called in reinforcements.

A couple of hours later, both radio men dead beside him, Edward was greeted by Skyraiders. Several dropped bombs and napalm, finally ebbing the gunfire. By nightfall, artillery units arrived and fired at any remaining PAVN units throughout the night. Sunrise revealed the dead on both sides. For two days, the American dead were separated from the PAVN dead and evacuated. It was a horrible experience, but gathering the dead was a necessary part of war. No man ever got left behind. On the third day after the battle had ended, the remaining troops were finally airlifted out. Two weeks later, Edward was promoted to first lieutenant.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Christmas-time 1968 found Carlisle back home in Washington. His time with General Volturi had been exhausting, and he'd never been happier to be back at home. Granted, he wished his boys were with him, but at least he had seen each of them before he left Vietnam.

Randall was glad to have his brother back. He teased Carlisle for being gone so long, saying he was tired of house sitting.

Carlisle and Randall had Christmas dinner with a friend of their late mother and her family. It was a surprise request that neither could turn down when their paths crossed at the supermarket. The Denalis were a rather large Catholic family with twelve children and eight grandchildren. They welcomed the Cullens with open arms, as they had not seen them since their mother's funeral. The dinner was a large feast with a turkey, a ham, and all the traditional side dishes. The banquette along the wall in the dining room was covered with so many pies that it had Carlisle comparing it to the Christmas dinner with the boys the year before at Cam Ranh Bay. Randall, along with Fred, the Denali's oldest son, had Carlisle share stories of his experience in Vietnam. Later that night, Randall teased Carlisle that although he was a Pulitzer nominee for journalism, he would win the Nobel Peace Prize for his storytelling. Everyone laughed, and then one of the grandchildren begged for Christmas carols to begin. The women hustled, clearing plates and doing dishes while the men fetched shots of whiskey or brandy and settled in the salon. Garrett, the Denali's middle son, sat at the piano and tickled the ivories, warming up until the women could join them. Christmas carols and traditional songs were sung late into the night. Randall and Carlisle left at ten, when the family dispersed to send the little ones to bed.

"That was a fun day, Randall. I'm glad we went. It was good to see our old family friends. Merry Christmas," Carlisle said when he was dropped off at his home.

"Me too, brother, and Merry Christmas to you, too."

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Within a couple of weeks of arriving at Tan Son Nhut, Emmett, Kola, and the rest of the unit transferred to Bien Hoa Air Base, about twenty miles north of Saigon. They spent a month there, most of the unit training with their new dogs. Emmett was happy when word came they would be moving to their own base camp. Technically they wouldn't be there by themselves; the 2nd Brigade Task Force of the 101st Airborne would also be there. LZ Sally was about ten miles northwest of the ancient Imperial City of Hue, home of the Purple Forbidden City. The Ashau Valley was a few miles to the west, National Highway 1 was along the east perimeter, and the South China Sea twenty miles to the east.

When the 47th IPSD arrived, they took up the encampment in the northeast corner. Repairs had to be made on almost all the structures, not to mention they had to be raised, so the men stayed in tents in the meantime. Kennels had to be built from scratch, so they temporarily used their aluminum cargo crates. Showers, outhouses, plumbing, and water lines had to be installed. It was like having to build their own little settlement. A generator finally arrived to provide electricity, adding the final touch to make the camp more like home.

Someone came up with a slogan while making a camp entrance sign, and it stuck. "Paw Power" certainly rang true with the platoon. The dogs saved lives while teams were on patrol. They silently alerted their handlers to booby traps, mines, and the enemy.

As if the weather was a welcoming party to the men, Typhoon Nina caused monsoon rains to deluge the camp, testing the construction of the huts and barracks. It delayed patrols for a full day. As soon as it was over, the tropical heat returned. So did the mosquitos. Emmett had liked not having to use his mosquito net for once and cursed their return.

A month later, it was Christmas. Edward's brigade arrived to relieve their brother brigade across the airstrip from Emmett for an R&R weekend. When the 2nd Brigade returned, it was Edward's turn. And to Emmett's surprise, his too, with Kola, of course.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The Cullen brothers decided to visit Saigon since neither had been. The helicopter dropped them off in Hue so they could get a Jeep for the weekend. After arriving in Saigon, they found the USO Club. The three of them were welcome, as Kola was a hero in his own right. Dinner was Emmett's favorite, and they watched the show as they ate. Kola fell asleep at Emmett's feet and slept through most of the show. All the acts had been quite enjoyable, each one better than the last, so Emmett wouldn't let Edward leave before they'd seen them all.

The last act was a singer that caught Emmett's attention right away. She walked with a sexy stride to the middle of the stage, her dress parting along the side slit with each confident step. Her voluminous blonde hair was pinned back with a beautiful barrette on the side. The shade of red lipstick matched her dress, making her lips pop out and had Emmett dreaming of them. She had a beautiful hourglass figure that was accentuated by the floor length red dress.

"My mystery woman," Emmett muttered.

Edward didn't understand him, thanks to all the whistles and catcalls, but when he turned to look at him, he could tell his brother was mesmerized by the woman on stage.

"Good evening. My name is Rosalie, and I'd like to sing you a song or two."

Her breathy voice was extremely sexy to Emmett's ears. He sat motionless, and mouth gaped open. All the whistles woke Kola, but Emmett didn't notice. Edward did, and had him sit by him.

The band behind Rosalie began playing, and there was a noticeable change in her demeanor. It was like a calm washed over her. She belted out, "Sitting in the morning sun, I'll be sitting when the evening come…" She kept her eyes closed most of the time, concentrating on her key. It was low for her, but (_Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay_ by Otis Redding was one of her favorite songs. Rosalie couldn't whistle though, so at the end of the song one of the band members did it.

The room erupted in ovation, causing her to blush. She thanked the crowd and sang the next song, _Turn! Turn! Turn!_ by the Yard Byrds. The crowd was loud once again. Rosalie couldn't be happier. She could do without the sexist catcalls, though, and did her best to pretend not to hear them.

Instead of performing another song like she would normally do, she turned around and asked the band if they wouldn't mind playing some Christmas carols instead of their regular routine. They readily agreed and decided on _Jingle Bell Rock_ first. The rest would depend on the crowd. She stepped back to center stage and announced the plan. Most of the crowd cheered, so Rosalie and the band began.

The carols seemed to go on for hours, as the audience kept begging for more. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and all the singing certainly had wound them up, one large man in front in particular. She noticed the bar had shut down, except for water, so she knew it was late. Finally the director came up on stage and politely announced that the show was over.

The whole night Emmett was transfixed on the beautiful woman up on the stage. He was probably the most enthusiastic of the crowd, singing the loudest and asking for more songs, much to the chagrin of Edward. Yes, he enjoyed watching his brother make a fool of himself, but he'd also never seen him drawn to a woman like this. He couldn't help but be entertained, interested in seeing how it would work out.

When the director announced the end of the show, Emmett was disappointed. He didn't want to say goodbye to Rosalie, so he turned to find Edward petting Kola and smiling.

"I gotta go talk to her. She's amazing!"

"We'll stay here at the table as long as we can. If they kick us out, we'll be waiting for you at the Jeep. If you don't come back in an hour, we're leaving for the night."

The brothers nodded at each other, and Emmett went to find Rosalie. He had to sweet talk the director, who was still up at the stage, into going to get her. He went backstage, and Emmett turned to find Edward and Kola still sitting at the table. He threw a thumbs up at Edward and flashed a grin at him. Edward chuckled and pointed back at Emmett, causing him to turn around fast. So fast, he almost ran into Rosalie.

"Oh! Sorry! Are you okay?"

"At ease, soldier. I'm fine, thanks. Now that I'm out of that constricting dress, I could deck you if need be," she said and smirked.

Emmett's laughter was immediate, coming from deep within his belly. "I'd like to see that! I'm Specialist Emmett Cullen with the 47th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon." He held his hand out for her to shake.

She accepted his hand with a firm grip. "Rosalie Hale, with the USO. I'm from Rochester, New York, but I'm here as one of the Victory Belles." She relaxed her hand but immediately missed the contact, the surge that she felt up her arm as they touched.

"Rochester, New York, huh? We're from opposite coasts. I'm from Seattle, Washington. How long you been in Vietnam?" he asked as his hands reached out to hold hers.

She reached out to hold his hands, needing the contact as much as he did. "Seventeen months. My contract here ends in a couple of weeks. You?"

"Been here since October of 1965. I've extended twice; my third's coming up with the new year. If I leave, I want to take Kola home with me."

"Kola?" She looked confused, and although she was cute, Emmett didn't want her to get any wrong ideas.

"My scout dog. He's over there with my brother if you want to meet them."

"Sure. I've heard great things about the dogs, like how the Viet Cong are afraid of them."

Her smile blew Emmett away. He let go of one of her hands, gripped the other tighter, and escorted her to the table. Emmett and Edward smiled at each other before Edward chuckled and shook his head. He was amazed at his brother's ease with women. They approached the table, so Edward stood.

"Edward, I'd like to introduce you to Rosalie Hale, Victory Belle for the USO."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hale. That was quite a performance earlier."

She grinned. "Thank you. It was definitely a night to remember!"

"Kola, this is Rosalie," Emmett addressed his partner.

She held out her hand to the dog before patting his head. "Hi, Kola. You're a handsome fella."

"Kola, shake," Emmett directed.

Kola held his right paw out, landing in Rosalie's palm.

"Good boy," Emmett and Rosalie said in unison, causing her to laugh. She let go of the furry paw and turned to Emmett. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"No, that's cool. Here, you want to reward him with a treat?"

"Yeah. Sure."

He reached into his pant pocket for the treat, beef jerky. Rosalie took it from him and bent over to give it to Kola. He accepted the treat readily, so she gently pet the top of his head.

She stood and grinned at Emmett. Edward chuckled at the whole scenario. The three of them got along great, and he'd never seen Kola take to a woman before, so he was surprised. Kola was even wagging his tail and nudging Rosalie's hand so she'd pet him some more. This was big.

"What's the matter, Edward?" she asked.

"Kola likes you, that's all. Sorry. Usually he doesn't like strangers."

"Rosalie! Time to go!" the director yelled from across the building.

She waved at him. "Sorry, fellas. Gotta go. He makes sure we all get back to our homes safely. We go as a group, so he's not the only one waiting on me."

"We'll give you a minute. It was nice to meet you, Rosalie. Em, we'll be out front. Come, Kola."

"Nice to meet you too, Edward and Kola."

Emmett blew out a nervous breath and reached out for her hands again. "When can I see you again, beautiful?"

She blushed. "How about tomorrow? I perform for the lunch crowd, so I'll be on stage at noon. Different set."

"I'll be here." She walked him to the door. "Until then, beautiful." He kissed her cheek and lightly hugged her.

The heat warmed her cheek and ran through her whole body. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and locked the door. Smiling, she turned around and walked across the dining room and past the stage to the hallway where dressing rooms and offices were.

"Somebody's got a crush," her friend Bella teased as soon as she joined the group.

"Ooh ooh ooh!" they teased in unison.

"All right everybody. Let's go!" the director huffed.

Later that night, Rosalie couldn't get Emmett out of her mind.

Emmett slept soundly, fantasizing of Rosalie.

Edward stayed up a bit, wanting to write home to his father and uncle. When he was through with his letters, he addressed the envelopes, anxious to get them sent the following day. On the way to the hotel, Emmett said he wanted to go back to see Rosalie sing at lunch. Edward agreed, since dinner was good. He also wanted to see if he would catch a glimpse of that brunette who peeked out at Rosalie from backstage. Her heart-shaped face and long, brown hair haunted his dreams that night.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The Cullen brothers and Kola returned to the USO the following day. They had just finished their lunch when it was Rosalie's turn on stage. Emmett felt as though she was trying to tell him she was just as interested in him as he was in her with the first song, _Happy Together _by The Turtles. Rosalie waved to him when she spotted him in the audience and seemingly sang to him and him alone. Kola nudged Emmett's leg, wanting to sit up in the booth. Emmett slid down the bench and patted the seat. His partner jumped up, sat down quickly, and looked toward the stage to watch Rosalie. Kola tried to wag his tail while sitting and raised his paw for her to shake even though she was up on the stage and about fifty feet away. When she sang _For Once In My Life_ by Stevie Wonder, Emmett grew more and more impatient, wanting to wrap his arms around her as soon as possible.

Just as she and the band prepared for the next song, eight people dressed as snowflakes came through the audience carrying big buckets of white confetti. She turned back around and approached the microphone with a leather strap of bells. She shook them and sang, "Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?" The human snowflakes threw the confetti into the air, simulating snowfall. They zigzagged through the audience until their buckets were empty, and others stacked a few of the buckets to simulate a snowman during that part of the song. Two of them joined her on stage by the end of the song and waved to the audience. "Merry Christmas!" She blew kisses to Emmett and Kola and then hurried off stage.

Twenty minutes later, Rosalie and Bella exited their dressing room. Dressed casually in jeans, tanks, and sandals, the girls headed out to the dining area. Growing more nervous with each step, Rosalie began thinking that perhaps she had been too forward with her song selections. That fear dissipated when she found Emmett smiling at her with the biggest grin she'd ever seen. Kola ran toward her, making her laugh.

"Hi, handsome! Did you miss me?" Kola licked her cheek. She hugged the dog as he kept licking her.

"Kola, come on boy. My turn," Emmett said as he approached. "Never thought I'd get jealous of my partner." He collected her hands in his. "Now then, that's better."

Rosalie thought the simple contact wasn't enough. She released his hands and threw her arms around his neck. He caught on, wrapped his around her middle, and pulled her into his embrace.

"No. This is so much better," she whispered.

While his brother and Rosalie were occupied, Edward found himself introducing Kola and himself to the beautiful brunette that he dreamed of the night before. Her name was Bella, short for Isabella, and was from Forks, Washington. She was a little shy, and like her friend Rosalie, she was also a Victory Belle for the USO. She was due to return home the same time as Rosalie. Kola seemed to be taken with her as much as he was with Rosalie.

"Well would you look at that," Emmett said, interrupting Edward and Bella's moment.

Rosalie giggled at her friend and Edward. They appeared to have just as much of a connection as she and Emmett.

"You're off the rest of the day, right, baby? So we could go to the beach?" Emmett asked Rosalie.

All she could do was nod. Stunned and deliriously happy he'd called her 'baby.'

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Emmett refused to let go of Rosalie's hand. On the rare occasion he did, like when shifting gears of the Jeep, she would lay her hand at the back of his neck. His body trembled and goose bumps rose when she rubbed his skin with her fingertips. They were content touching each other lightly. Rosalie hummed along with each song on the radio, much to the delight of Emmett and Kola.

Edward held Bella across his lap while Kola sat beside him as they drove to the beach. Edward rubbed her leg while he held her around her waist with his other arm. She had one arm around his neck, and her free hand played with the buttons at his neck. They were lost in their own little world, whispering sweet nothings between them.

Finally arriving at Vung Tau Beach R&R a couple of hours later, the group separated, coupling off to spend time alone. They stayed within visual distance of each other, which had Kola running between the two couples. The beach wasn't too crowded considering it was a holiday, so they were thankful. Each couple spent time talking and kissing, and just relaxing on their blankets in the sun. After a couple of hours, Edward and Bella joined the other couple. Edward had asked Bella earlier if she thought she and Rosalie could spend the night since the 101st had accommodations on the beach, so Bella wanted to talk to Rosalie about it. Emmett kissed Rosalie before getting up and following Edward to the volleyball net.

"Sorry to interrupt, but uh, well, I have to ask you something." Bella asked, and then bit her bottom lip.

Rosalie could tell she was nervous about something. "It's okay, Bella. We were just talking and getting to know one another."

Bella nodded and sat down on the blanket. She ran her hands through her hair. "It's just that, I know I met him today, and things are going so fast, but I don't, I don't want to lose him. I've never felt like this with another guy, so I'm scared shitless. Not just because he's in the Army and we're here in this hellhole. But, there's a part of me that knows that he's it... he's the one that I want to be with for the rest of my life. Considering we all get out of here alive. I mean, how is it possible that I may have fallen in love in just a few short hours?" She blew out a breath and shook her head.

"Sweetie, I know. The moment I saw Emmett, I felt the same way. I dreamed of him all night. Look at him, he's so genuine and fun to be around. You can tell how deeply he cares for his brother and his dog. I know he's not just trying to get in my bikini bottoms. And I have to keep touching him, to feel the fire, the heat. It goes through my whole body. I want him."

The girls hugged and laughed. Holding hands, they shared more of how they felt about the boys and what Edward asked of Bella. They watched the shirtless Cullen brothers play sand volleyball and laughed at Kola running under the net from one side to the other, anxious to get the ball if one of the guys didn't. Emmett missed it a while later, the heat getting to him, and face planted in the sand. Edward guffawed heartily at his brother's unfortunate demise, and without warning, he was being hoisted up into the air and thrown into the sea. Emmett rinsed the sand off of himself, trudged up the beach, and grabbed the girls.

"Time for Bella to join her boyfriend in the water!" he announced before sending her flying into the air, screaming obscenities at him while airborne. She landed beside Edward, who helped her stand. After she calmed, they hugged and kissed enthusiastically.

As for his girl, Emmett pulled her by the hand slowly into the sea. When they were out to where they had to tread water, Emmett pulled her to him. "Will you be my girl, Rosalie?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, Emmett. Your one and only, got it? I know how most of the men have their share of female companions around here. If you're one of those types, this won't work." She looked into his eyes, searching for honesty.

"No, I'm definitely not one of those types. Maybe when I was in college, but I haven't been with – I mean I haven't done anything since then." He gulped, and thought he said too much.

"When's the last time you had sex, Cullen?"

"My senior year of college." He told her of his last sexual experience, much like how he told his Uncle Randall before he left for Vietnam. "So, um, that was it for me. I went to see my uncle, because he's a doctor, and had tests done. I swore off excessive amounts of alcohol. I focused on my studies and brought my grades up." Rosalie remained quiet. "I'm sorry if that was too much. I want to be completely honest with you, babe, always." He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. He knew she was the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. He felt she deserved the best from him, but above all, his honesty.

She let out a deep breath, pulled her face back, and nodded. "I appreciate it, Emmett, I do. It was difficult to hear, I admit. But thank you." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I was engaged once, to a banker. My engagement made my family proud, because it meant securing their place in the social circles. We weren't as well off as some families in the banking business, so they were thrilled when Royce King asked to date me. He was fairly new in town and was the vice president of the second largest bank in New York. One night I saw him and his buddies drinking and this lady that had just walked by me was approaching them. I remember thinking how much she looked like me when she passed. Well, Royce and his friends must've thought the same thing. He approached her and pulled her to join his friends." Rosalie began to cry, but Emmett had a feeling she needed to keep going. He gently wiped her tears away. She opened her eyes and pulled from the strength Emmett gave her. "They pulled her into an alleyway and were saying awful things to her. She was surrounded by them: two of them on each side holding her arms and legs. Royce stood between her parted legs, groping her breasts outside of her clothes and grinding his hips against her. She kept telling him, 'No.' I couldn't watch. I was afraid to be seen, so I turned around, found a pay phone a block away, and called the police." She squirmed out of Emmett's embrace and went under the water. She surfaced about three feet away, so he swam to her.

"That was brave of you, Rosalie."

She was able to stand, so she did, and he walked up to her. Holding his hands, she calmed and focused on finishing the story.

"The cops responded quickly, but not fast enough. Royce had raped her, and another was having his way with her when the cop cars pulled into the alley. She was mutilated so badly, she stayed in the hospital for a month. I heard before I left to join the USO that she's unable to have children."

Emmett hugged her.

"The four of Royce's friends who held her down were charged with minor offenses, so the police looked good in the eyes of the public. Royce and the other one that raped her had the book thrown at them and are serving a few years in jail. I have a feeling, though, that if I hadn't called the police, she would've been killed. I broke off our engagement immediately, of course. My family was upset with me for doing so, and they said if I wasn't going to support my rapist fiancé, I needed to leave. So I did. I haven't heard from them since."

Emmett gasped. He couldn't believe her family disowned her for doing the right thing. "I'm sorry, Baby." He hugged her tight. "I'll be your family. You have me now, Baby, and I don't ever want to let you go."

Stunned at his words, she cried harder. A few minutes passed until she calmed again. With a sore throat from crying so hard, she whispered, "Forever?"

"Yes, Baby. Forever." He picked her up bridal style and returned her to the blanket on the beach. He held her for the rest of the afternoon and told her his version of how they met. He made sure to include the dreams he had of her the previous night. Rosalie then shared hers and the kiss between them afterward was the sweetest and most reverent kiss either of them had ever shared with another person.

Edward and Bella watched them cautiously, knowing something had happened, but maintained their distance so they could have privacy. When they spied them kissing, they knew they were just fine and returned to paying attention to each other after checking on Kola, who had fallen asleep on Bella's blanket. They walked along the beach as Edward told Bella all there was to know about himself and his family. Bella listened very intently, amazed that his father was the famous war correspondent, Carlisle Cullen. She laughed at his stories about studying at West Point. He shared that he wasn't sure about extending his service again when the time came. Unlike Emmett, Rosalie, and Bella, he was due out in March.

Bella shared about her family and growing up in Phoenix and then moving to Forks, Washington when her mother remarried. Her flighty mother had fallen in love with a minor league baseball player, so instead of moving around the country with them as he tried out for teams, she decided to stay with her father. He was the Chief of police in Forks and still lived in the same home his parents raised him in. His parents had died before Bella was born. In fact, Bella was a surprise to her parents, who had a shotgun wedding just as her mother started to show. Edward laughed at her stories of her first year of high school in Forks. If he had been there, he had no doubt that he would've been in the line of boys vying for her attention. It amazed him that they lived in the same state. After high school, she went to Dartmouth and got a Bachelors Degree in English because she'd always loved reading.

When they returned from their walk, they saw Emmett and Rosalie snuggling and watching the sunset. They were motioned over, so they joined them. Kola was playing in the waves.

"How's it going guys?" Edward asked as they sat down. He opened his legs so Bella could lean her back against his chest.

"Really good. I've never been happier," Emmett responded and kissed Rosalie.

"Me either. Today has been the best day ever," Rosalie agreed after letting go of Emmett's lips.

Edward smiled. "Good. We were worried for a while, so we gave you some privacy. So are we staying or heading back?"

"Let's get some dinner and head back to Saigon. I want my last day of R&R spent with my beautiful girl," Emmett suggested.

"You mean half-day. We have to be back by 2pm," Edward corrected.

Emmett mumbled and Rosalie stood. She pulled him up, and after a quick kiss, he whistled for Kola. Rosalie folded the blanket and slipped her sandals on as Kola ran up to them. Bella went to get her blanket, and they loaded up the Jeep.

After stopping for a late dinner, the group was back in Saigon just before midnight. Parting was sweet sorrow when they let the girls off in front of the house they were staying in, thanks to the USO. With a promise to pick them up by nine, the brothers left. Even Kola seemed sad to leave the girls behind.

That night, Emmett had the most vivid dream of a woman he'd ever had. _Rosalie had just agreed to marry him. He carried her to his bedroom and laid her on the bed. She was so beautiful with her platinum blonde hair fanned on the pillow, and she was wearing the red dress she wore the night they met. He had fantasized about getting her out of the tight dress but wanted to take things slow. It would be the first time for them to be intimate, and he wanted it to be as romantic and memorable for her as possible. He unbuttoned his shirt as he gazed at her body. She watched and licked her lips. Just as he was about to unbuckle his belt, she reached for it, so he allowed her to do it. She palmed his erection through his pants as she pulled the belt out of the loops with her other hand. He hissed and grew harder as she kept her rhythm while undoing his dress pants, caressing his balls as she pulled the zipper down. He held her face in his hands as she nudged his pants over his hips. Looking in each other's eyes, all they could see was the love each held for the other. _

_He pulled her off the bed so she stood in front of him. Using his fingertips to guide him, he slowly pulled the zipper down the side of her dress without losing eye contact. When it was down as far as it could go, his hands moved to the straps on either side of her neck. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Rosalie." The dress fell, joining his clothes on the floor. Her matching red lace undergarments were as nice as her dress. _

"_I love you, Emmett."_

_Their lips caressed, confirming their love, before his tongue swept over her bottom lip, seeking entrance. His strong arms had wrapped around her, and then he picked her up and put her on the bed again. He lay beside her as his tongue caressed hers and his right hand trailed along the soft, supple skin of her breasts. She met his hand with hers and together they unclasped the front closure of her bra. Taking a moment to admire the beauty below, he whispered, "Just beautiful, baby. You're perfect." He leaned down and thoroughly worshipped each one, lavishing each breast with kisses and suckling on one nipple while pinching the other. Her moans were getting louder, and she started rubbing her thighs together. He smirked at her impatience but followed her cue. Kissing her along her stomach and down to just above her panties, he followed the lace in each direction to each side before grasping them at her hips. Laying his head down over her abdomen so he could smell her arousal, he licked her where he could see she was already wet through the thin nylon. He groaned as he felt the heat radiating off her, and the sweet taste of her essence was on his tongue._

The alarm clock suddenly rang, surprising Emmett and causing him to inadvertently get cum all over himself. "Fuuuck!" He had never come so hard in his life. As the euphoria ebbed, he cleaned himself off with the sheet and got out of bed. Showered, shaved, and dressed in twenty minutes, he was packing his stuff into his duffel when there was a knock on the door. Kola barked and wagged his tail happily as Emmett answered the door, but not without looking in the peephole first. Sure enough, it was Edward.

"Ready?"

"Yep." Emmett threw some cash on the bed to tip the maid and grabbed his duffel. "Come, Kola."

The restaurant wouldn't let Kola in, so Emmett was forced to leave him in the Jeep. They made sure to get a window seat so they could see him. It was rare that they were separated, so Emmett was preoccupied throughout breakfast. Rosalie didn't like the separation either, which made her realize that the morning's separation wouldn't compare to what was to come later that day. The four of them ate quickly and saved some food that Rosalie wrapped in napkins for Kola.

Edward drove them to a city park along the river. Sitting along the slope of a small hill and watching the river, the couples spoke of anything except saying goodbye while Kola ate his breakfast. Enjoying each other's company as long as they could until it was time to go, Edward drove to the girls' house after their time was up at the park. They exchanged numbers and addresses so they could stay in touch. The brothers vowed to make it back by the time their girls left the country.

The Cullen brothers were pretty silent on the way back to LZ Sally. Kola sensed the sadness and whined as well. It made Emmett smile at the way both girls doted on Kola as the group parted. Both men fully understood Kola's feelings, as they felt the same.

In Hue, they turned in the Jeep and caught a Huey to Sally with a couple of others returning from their R&R as well. When their feet hit the ground and Emmett was back to his hut, he told Edward he wasn't going to re-up. For him and Kola's safety, it was time to retire. They embraced in a hug as Edward told him congratulations. He was relieved to hear the news. No doubt their father would be thrilled as well. Within a half hour, it was time for Edward to go since each troop in his battalion was accounted for.

"Stay safe," they said in unison. Kola barked, letting Edward know he'd miss him too.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Two weeks later, Edward was caught in crossfire, getting shot in the shoulder and leg as he was trying to save a fellow soldier. Going in and out of consciousness, his thoughts were sporadic. He mumbled about his father, Emmett, Uncle Randall, Bella, Kola, and Rosalie in no particular order. He was med evac'd to Tan Son Nhut Air Base.

Emmett was pulled from duty rotation when he announced his retirement, so when he received word that Edward had been injured, all he had to do was pack his daily items and grab food for Kola. He called the USO in Saigon to tell the girls what had happened. Within an hour, a Huey was ready to take him and Kola to Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The girls were to drive there, since it was just outside of Saigon. They were scheduled to leave from Saigon the next day, so Emmett couldn't imagine them having trouble getting on base.

Evidently, it took some sweet-talking and a serenade by Rosalie to get them on base, but it was worth it when they met Emmett in the hallway outside of Edward's room in the medical center. Kola and Emmett fought for hugs, making the girls laugh.

Emmett could tell Bella had been crying and did his best to soothe her. He shared what he knew with both of them as they sat and waited for his brother to wake from surgery. The leg shot was an exit wound, so it just had to be cleaned and bandaged. The slug was still in his shoulder when he came in, so they had to operate. Emmett didn't know how the surgery went, just that his brother was out like a light. Pissed off that Emmett didn't know more, Rosalie took off to the nurses' station. She came back a minute later and said a doctor was coming to talk to them.

When Edward woke hours later, it took a minute to recognize the blurry faces that surrounded him. Bella was crying and rested her head on his good shoulder. With his good arm, he caressed his devoted girlfriend the best he could. After he had some sips of water, Bella kissed him all over his face. She didn't care he was dirty from the war zone… he was alive, and she would be forever grateful. He was released a few days later, and all five of them left Vietnam together, thanks to General Volturi.

The General had extended Emmett's tour on paper, as well as Bella's and Rosalie's with the USO, so they would be able to stay with Edward. He awarded Edward the rank of Captain as he signed off on his retirement papers, due to injury. In front of the hospital staff and his family, Edward was awarded the Vietnam Distinguished Service Order medal for performing his unselfish act of bravery by attempting to save a fellow soldier during battle.

"Ready to go home, Captain?" Emmett proudly teased his brother before pushing his wheelchair up the ramp of the huge C-130.

"I am. Get me up on that plane, brother." Edward waved with his good arm to those who were there to see them off. Bella laughed at him, anxious to start her life with Edward.

Kola followed them up the ramp, walking beside Rosalie, who made sure that he was not put in a cargo crate. He was every bit a hero in this war as Edward and her boyfriend were, and she wasn't afraid to share her opinion on the matter.

After stopping in Hawaii for a fresh plane, they landed at Ft. Lewis many, many hours later. They were all exhausted from the flight, though as soon as the hatch opened, their energy was renewed. Emmett drove his brother's wheelchair down the ramp as the girls and Kola followed. To the boys' surprise, they were greeted by Carlisle, Randall, and Randall's companion. Emmett introduced Rosalie and Kola, and then Edward introduced Bella. Randall, in turn, introduced his companion, Peter.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Carlisle's home was filled with people ready to welcome the war heroes' home. As soon as Edward hobbled in on his crutches, old classmates swarmed him, as well as family friends. Bella was by his side and was welcomed as heartily as Edward was. She found her father in the crowd and nudged her way through the people she hadn't met yet in order to get to him. After they hugged, she dragged him over to meet Edward.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Captain Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my father, Chief Charlie Swan."

Emmett overheard and introduced himself, Rosalie, and Kola after Edward. Chief Swan was impressed with his daughter's new friends and thanked them for being her friend and taking care of her.

Carlisle proposed a toast then, also eavesdropping on his sons. "Thank you all for coming to welcome home my sons. I am proud of each of them for their service, but also for their humanity. Vietnam is a harsh country, and this is a harsh war, but in the face of all the brutality, they met two beautiful women with equally beautiful souls. I'll let them tell the story of how they met, but I wanted to thank the five of you for your service to your country. Welcome home!"

Cheers and barking rang through the home. Then laughter and clapping as the party progressed. It was late in the evening before the last guest left. It was the best homecoming the brothers could have ever imagined.

~ Fortunate Sons ~

Carlisle spent the next few months writing his first book. It was a detailed account of his time in Vietnam with General Volturi and the various battles he witnessed. The one he concentrated on the most was the Siege of Plei Me. It still haunted him from time to time, remembering how he was so close to death during the attack and the awful stench of cordite in the air from the weapons. Writing about it was troubling at first, but by the time he was done and doing a third round of editing, he found the process therapeutic. His own memories of disregarding his own life, as he would pull an injured soldier out of the line of fire, would remain with him forever. It was something he was proud of himself for doing, even though some of them died. After he typed up the final draft in manuscript form, he gave it to Randall to read. Based on his brother's opinion, Carlisle would pursue the avenue of becoming a published author.

Six months after coming home, Emmett proposed to Rosalie. Just like his dream all those months ago, the night of their engagement was the first time they made love. Emmett was proud of his military service and spent his time as a guest speaker with Kola educating the public about the war and about the special dog units serving in war zones. Rosalie was an Elementary Education major at the University of Washington. Kola adjusted to his new surroundings well and was always by Emmett or Rosalie's side.

It took eight months for Edward to pop the question to Bella. He admitted that if he had been in better health, it would've been sooner. He had been going to physical therapy for his shoulder since arriving back home. Bella was very supportive of Edward, and soon found herself interested in nursing. She went on to become an RN at the same hospital Randall had spent his entire career. Edward was called out of retirement from time to time to meet with military advisors in Washington, D.C.

Carlisle's book was about to be published a year later, and he had begun dating again. Randall had retired from his position as Chief Surgeon and Peter had moved in with him.

The Cullens never forgot their time in Vietnam, thankful to have returned and live happy lives. They felt they were truly Fortunate Sons.

Author Notes:

For all you history buffs out there, Carlisle's character is based off two real-life war correspondents: Edgar Rice Burroughs (the letter portion), and Joe Galloway (field reporting and author). Burroughs penned all the Tarzan books, as well as many others, and Galloway penned a book with Lt. Gen. Harold Moore that later became a movie starring Mel Gibson. We Were Soldiers Once... And Young was the novel, We Were Soldiers the movie.

If it weren't for these lovely ladies, I couldn't have entered the Show Me Your Patriotism Contest: moxieandmirth, Ms CVG, and my new friend, Sunflower3759. Thank you so much, so very much for helping me.

In literally the eleventh hour, PTB came through and returned the story to me, so I need to credit them as well. Thanks to itlnbrt and Twilightmom505, and moderator Mel!

This story didn't win the Judges vote or the Public vote, but I'm proud of it. I put a lot of time and effort in my two week crash course of research for it, then another week to write it. This was truly a labor of love and intended to honor my father.

Thank you for reading.


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